Passengers aboard a subway train in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 8, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Seoul Metro, the operator of South Korea’s subway system, issued an apology after referring to Chinese tourists as “villains” in a response to a public complaint about noisy riders and loud announcements at subway stations.
“We apologise for the inappropriate language related to the Chinese tourists in responding to the complaint,” Seoul Metro said in a statement on Monday.
The incident began when Seoul Metro responded to a grievance posted on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s website, which complained about the “excessive number of Chinese announcements” at subway stations and historical sites like ancient palaces.
In its reply, Seoul Metro stated: “Chinese people, when gathered in groups of two or more, can often be loud and disruptive, turning into villains,” according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
The response further stated that broadcasting announcements in Chinese was necessary to encourage order and proper behavior on trains, serving as a reminder against disruptive conduct. It also mentioned a potential review of reducing announcements to only Korean and English in the future.
The statement sparked backlash on social media, with users accusing Seoul Metro of unfairly targeting Chinese tourists. Following the criticism, the operator also pledged to conduct “special training” for staff, particularly those managing public complaints, to avoid similar incidents in the future.
According to the South China Morning Post, South Korea welcomed 2.2 million Chinese tourists in the first half of 2024.
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